Pammi

CRW is awesome! I got to try it with my coach for my graduation jump! What a nice thing for him to do..really made that jump special and memorable! I have to say, I'm hooked! It was amazing seeing the canopy come up under you and try to sit on top of it. Woulda been better had I been able to pull it off...didn't quite get to the bi-plane we had planned, but now I got something else to work on! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Ouch. That was harsh. Gee, I've never met men with those qualities too...regardless of what country they're from! "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

That's so cool! My brother got a tandem from my mom for his birthday, but guess what..."he's just not sure when he can come down and do it". So she ended up giving him the money instead. Hmph! Whatever. I just hope she's that generous with me for my birthday in a week :) LOL! "Mom, just deposit it at the DZ. Thanks!!" hehe That's definately my mom! She won't even get in a plane, besides out! Honestly tho...get this...I can't get on a merry-go-round, swings, or any of that without feeling like I'll heave. I also am afraid of heights...I tried to help with xmas lights last winter and realized just how much so then. I was shaking and could only get almost to the top of the ladder before I freaked. So there's still hope for your mom!! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Hmmm...perhaps I should quit bitching about my job so much since I obviously am spoiled and get to screw around online all day Ya know, I think I'm gonna end up quite warped considering that although I have my own office, nice big window and all, I rarely see anyone so only get outside 'influence' from people on here and at the DZ. MMM...pretty pathetic. Let's see...new job around more people, same job and keep posting all day. Well...back to work! LOL! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Mmm hmmm...I hear she can't wait either Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

That moose is hilarious! How perfect!! That's you Palmetto?? I'm sorry :( LOL! I'm sure it'd probably be very non-pc in some groups, but with us...very funny! You were (are?) a cutey! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

So how'd it go? How's it feeling to be back in the air?? Sis - how was the boogie too?? "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Had a great weekend myself. At least an eventful one! hehe I only got 3 jumps, which is actually not bad at our DZ..lol. Think, one C-182, first nice weather in a month, lots of students who didn't get to jump after their classes over the last three weeks and tandems galore! We got there early Saturday to get up before the students got there and the guy who's been doing coach jumps with me (Thanks again Tony! You're a miracle worker!) went ahead and signed me off to do solos! He told me to spend some time jumping by myself just to get a bit more experience, and stick to doing RW work with C-licensed or better, but hey..that means I can fill slots on the C-182 between students! More jumps!! Then for my 'graduation jump', he did a CRW with me! We went up to 6,000, pulled immediately and played around with our canopies. It was a blast! I actually docked on him for a few seconds, but ended up landing more towards the back of his canopy then the front, so didn't get hooked up for a bi-plane like we'd intended to try...but it was an amazing experience!! I definately want to keep trying that...it was so fun! Winds picked up so I didn't get to jump the rest of the day because when they finally came back down, I let some who hadn't gotten to jump yet at all take any slots open. Got a couple more jumps the next day. Did some solos, practiced tracking, did some flips and just played. It was so cool not trying to 'pass anything'...just going out and playing. I did get a bit bruised up on my second jump Sunday, better then the alternative that I thought was going to happen tho! LOL! The winds were good when I went up, but by the time I got back down they were gusting some and I wasn't getting any forward drive at all on my canopy...as I floated over some trees. ACK! I ended up getting just enough at about 400 feet or so to get me just over them and landed safely tho...flared too high since the winds were back up...dumbass...was still flaring like I did earlier with no winds, higher and faster. Duh! But it's all good :) Didn't land in the trees and they were happy with me for not getting over the hangers, staying out to the side of them and telling myself I'd land whereever I safely could. I jumped, I tracked in a straight line, I landed, I lived....it was great!!! Woohoo! OH!! I got to 'see' (not completely..you'd have to ask Merrick about that since he was on the same load) a nudie 100th jump (he landed rather close...it was hilarious! The students were like "that guy's naked!" hehe) And I got to pie someone for his thousandth dive! Gawd I love skydiving!! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick Edited by Pammi on 4/30/01 07:26 AM.

What a great thread! Thanks for the ideas Lisa and Wingnut! Merrick and I should be jumping together, maybe starting next weekend. It will give us some things to try after we get used to flying with each other! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

WHY MEN PEE STANDING UP: Seems God was just about done creating the universe, but he had two extra things left in his bag of creations, so he decided to split them between Adam and Eve. He told the couple that one of the things he had to give away was the ability to stand up while urinating. "It's a very handy thing", God told the couple, "I was wondering if either one of you wanted that very ability." Adam jumped up and blurted, "Oh, give that to me! I'd love to be able to do that! It seems a sort of thing a man should do! Oh please, oh please, oh please, let me have that ability! It'd be so great! When I'm working in the garden or naming the animals, I could just stand there and let it fly! It'd be so cool! I could write my name in the sand! Oh please God, let it be me who you give that gift to! Let me stand and pee, oh please..." On and on he went like an excited little boy. Eve just smiled and told God that if Adam really wanted that so badly, that he should have it. It seemed to be the sort of thing that would make him happy and she really wouldn't mind if Adam were the one given this ability. And so Adam was given the ability to urinate while in a vertical position. He was happy and did celebrate by wetting down the bark on the tree nearest him, laughing with delight all the while. "Fine," God said looking back into his bag of leftovers. "What's left here? Oh yes, brains...." Have a great, safe weekend everyone! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Ah cool! Those Odyssey's look kick ass! Let us know how ya like it! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

LOL @ Tiger and Screamer! Ah it's a lost cause...oh well. At least skydiving won't be mainstream! That'd suck to have someone like my boss wanting to go 'hang out at the DZ' too! ICK! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

ROFL! Unfortunately, no. Dammit! hehe Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Sorry, just have to bitch. The only thing that is worse then whuffo's are the people who say they want to and are going to jump, but come up with every excuse in the world not too. I can name at least 5 people who've said "I AM going to do it," have no excuse not to, then come up with something that is 'keeping them from it'. My brother included! His is even paid for and now I start hearing "I'm not sure WHEN I'll get a chance to come do it..." WHATEVER! Ya know, I respect if someone doesn't want to jump, that's cool. But don't get me all excited thinking you're gonna come jump with me, then flake out! Sheesh! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Guys, I just really don't know what to say. I was a bit leary about posting this topic because I didn't want to stir up hard feelings and such, which ex's always seem to bring up. I didn't want to sound like a 'man hater', because I most definately am not. But the support that I've received from everyone, the advice, the well-wishes was more then I expected. It's so true that when you skydive, you have family all over the world. It's especially true here on Dz.com. Thank you everyone for...everything (including the laugh Mike *smile*). I hope that all of my worrying will be for nothing and it'll be just another bluff to stir up trouble. He certainly doesn't show much interest in them normally, calling maybe once a month, forgetting birthdays and refusing to take them last year for a month in the summer even tho he'd requested it himself...Don't we all wish we could just be parents when it was convenient?! Nah...although it would be easier, just look at all he's missing out on too :) (And Jeji, good luck to you!! I see both sides of what you are saying. I wish I had kept better track of all of the things that happened, but I tried 'being nice' and believing it wouldn't come to that. Numerous counselors later, there we were. I hope it turns out better for you!!) Thanks again guys. I love you all! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

I hear ya Andrea! I haven't been up in about 3 weeks...the weather is always perfect during the week and crappy on the weekends. They predicted about the same for this weekend too, warm, but high winds. But guess what?!?! They changed it this morning!! Mostly sunny, highs about 85 and low winds! Woohoo!!!! I'm so ready to go!! Blues! (finally!) Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Thanks so much guys for the advice and encouragement. You're right Kel, the kids would be much better off with Merrick if something ever *did* happen to me. Merrick and I have talked about it extensively, even to the kids, and they want to be with him in such an instance. It's actually the only thing that has worried me at all, is that legally they might not be able to. However, I don't know if the ex will actually want them full-time if it ever really came down to it...he just likes to torment me from time-to-time. I don't think he realizes that I would give up anything and everything if it was a choice between anything and the kids. I even told Merrick that when we first started dating. If I'd felt like he wasn't good for them, I would dumped him like a hot potato no matter how *I* felt about him. And as to the financial aspects, it's really just the point behind the child support. I don't feel like someone should get the 'fun' of spending time with the kids whenever they want without taking on some of the responsibility of it also. Daycare and medical stuff is expensive! Besides all the lessons, new clothes and so forth! And really, how can anyone talk of being irresponsible when he *fu'ed* his co-worker while his wife and son were on a lifewatch flight trying to save his son's life?? Sorry, spouting! I'll hush now...not trying to start a 'hate session'. Much apologies! I don't know about the judge...it's a new one that took over when the one we had retired, but that one was aweful! I used to work as a legal secretary so I knew all three of them, and he was the only one who was very anti-women (many times divorced himself). So it can't be worse! :) I just never can actually get people to believe what kind of person he is when I try to tell them, so I've pretty much given that up. I'll just do like you guys suggested and explain how much skydiving helps me and the kids, and how much they love coming to the DZ with us! I also plan on bringing statistics and such just in case and giving it to my atty. Thanks for letting me vent guys! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

LOL! That's pretty cool! By the way, the sign of really growing up in hicksville is the shotgun by the backdoor :) I grew up on a farm with typical 'country' parents who always kept the hunting gun where prospective boyfriends could see it. Mom even pulled it on one of em once who came to the house causing problems. The guy was lucky I stopped her! LOL! Gotta love it! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Out of curiosity, how many others of you with children and ex-spouses have been accused of irresponsibility for skydiving? I actually had my ex try to use the fact that I skydive as a reason that he should have the kids with him...which is hilarious considering the fact that he's pulled a gun on his now wife already (we won't get into all that vicious mud-slinging tho or the issue of how he doesn't think he should have to pay any child support since I would just 'waste' it skydiving and neglect the kids' needs! ). Anyway, it just makes me a little nervous and I'm thinking of arguments that I can use that a whuffo can understand for the judge since I 'get to go to court' again in a few weeks and I'm sure it'll be brought up again. Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Hey now Kris...now keep those stories to yourself if they involve me at least! If they don't...then I wanna hear! (Of course, we still 'get to see' Kevin do a nudie jump, perhaps this weekend...that might qualify in the top 10 weird category! It at least qualifies that he really *does* have more balls then me! hehe) Pam "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Perhaps with all the apparent skydiver poets and poetry lovers here, someone knows of this one? I read a short poem a couple of years ago in the front of a book, but the book disappeared (it was someone else's in my office) before I could copy it down. It was about how everyone that comes into your life touches it, and changes you in some permanent way, even after they are gone and how they probably don't even realize it. I love it, but haven't been able to find it since. I don't even know who wrote it. Any ideas? Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Ah, now you guys know why I love him *smile* Thank you sweetie. (I'm the lucky one Sangiro

This is hilarious! Ran across subliminal tapes for skydivers: HERE "SKYDIVING verbatim suggestions: “You are excellent at skydiving. Your strategy is perfect. You naturally make the right moves. You excel at skydiving, each time and every time. It is all so easy for you now. Anywhere, anyplace, each and every time....." That's what I need!! LOL!! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Exactly!!! It never fails...windy and crappy all weekend then beautiful during the week! ARGH! "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick

Awesome girl! Congrats on your license!!! Pammi "The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live." http://trak.to/skydivechick